Experimental study and assessment of the structural performance of laced reinforced concrete beams against reverse cyclic loading

This experimental research evaluates the structural performance of laced reinforced concrete beams (LRC-45) in comparison to conventional reinforced concrete beams (RC-90) under reverse cyclic loading. Visual inspection revealed that LRC-45 exhibited superior crack resistance, even at high displacements, unlike RC-90, which displayed vertical cleavages and diagonal tension cracks. RC-90 demonstrated minimal ductility, initiating cracking at lower loads. Hysteresis response curves showed LRC-45 outperforming RC-90 in terms of cracking load and maximum load, with higher displacement capacity. The ductility factor of LRC-45 was 56.39% higher. Notably, LRC-45 exhibited a substantial 143.43% increase in cumulative energy dissipation, highlighting its superior energy-absorbing capacity. Additionally, stiffness analysis indicated significantly higher stiffness in LRC-45. The numerical analysis supported experimental findings, emphasizing the potential of laced reinforcement in enhancing structural resilience, energy dissipation, and stiffness. The novelty lies in the remarkable improvements offered by LRC-45, particularly its enhanced energy-absorbing capacity and stiffness, which are crucial for structures subjected to dynamic loads, such as seismic events.

Keywords:
Laced reinforcement; reverse cyclic loading; ductility; energy dissipation